What’s new with the Dell AppSync 4.5 release?
Fri, 02 Sep 2022 14:39:25 -0000
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AppSync overview
Dell AppSync is a software package that simplifies and automates the process of generating and consuming copies of production data. At a high level, AppSync can perform end-to-end operations such as quiescing the database, snapping the volumes, and mounting and recovering the database. For many end users, these manual operations can be difficult without AppSync, because of different applications and storage platforms.
AppSync provides a single pane of glass, and its workflows are the same regardless of the underlying array or application being protected. AppSync natively supports Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange, SAP HANA, VMware, Kubernetes (4.5), and file systems from various operating systems. The product also provides an extensible framework through plug-in scripts and REST API to deliver a copy data management solution for custom applications.
AppSync 4.5 was released on August 30, 2022.
What’s new?
One major new application feature is protection and repurposing support for containerized applications in Linux. This allows AppSync to protect and recover applications running in bare-metal Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift containerized environments. The release brings built-in application templates for stand-alone configuration of Microsoft SQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, and PostgreSQL. These application templates allow AppSync to create application-consistent copies for applications running on pods inside the namespace. Customized templates can also be created to support any other configurations or databases. You can see from the following screenshots just how easy it is to add a Kubernetes cluster to AppSync and utilize the built-in application templates.
This AppSync release also supports the use of Microsoft SQL Server databases with the use of a Microsoft group Managed Service Account (gMSA). A gMSA is a Managed Service Account (MSA) for multiple servers. Through gMSA, Windows can manage a service account for services running on a group of servers. Microsoft Active Directory can also automatically update the gMSA password without restarting services, which is a great convenience for users. Using a gMSA with SQL Server allows the user to control all the SQL-related services on multiple servers by using just one account. In many cases, this single account makes management easier for administrators, and it gives users options for how they can configure SQL to meet their needs and the best practices of their solutions.
AppSync 4.5 supports all existing AppSync use cases for PowerFlex with the August 2022 release of the PowerFlex 4.0 code. Check out the PowerFlex Info Hub., which has a lot of collateral relating to the 4.0 release.
AppSync 4.5 enhances the support of Dell’s premier mid-range storage appliance, PowerStore, with additional file use cases. Users can now protect VMware NFS datastores and Linux file systems created on virtual disks of those datastores. This gives users more flexibility for different business use cases and information life cycle management.
The AppSync 4.5 release also enhances the support of the Dell PowerMax storage line. Unisphere for PowerMax and PowerMaxOS version 10.x and later (check AppSync support matrix) is now supported with AppSync 4.5 and the previous 4.4.1 release. Enhanced file support is also added to this release. Oracle standalone and RAC databases can now be hosted on NFS file systems. This includes support for both Linux and AIX operating systems. UNIX applications residing on virtual disks carved out of NFS datastores are now also supported. The local repurpose workflow is supported for Oracle, SAP HANA, and file systems. AppSync now has expanded NVMe device support on Linux virtual machines, allowing it to support datastores on NVMe devices and applications residing on vDisks carved from a datastore. AppSync 4.5 also supports the restoration of Linux virtual machines on datastores created on NVMe devices.
AppSync 4.5 now allows users to provide direct feedback on the product within the AppSync UI. The user can enter text and upload a file if desired. This information is sent automatically to Dell so it can be reviewed by Product Management and other company stakeholders to improve the total customer experience. The following screenshots show the new Send Feedback option in the AppSync UI help menu.
Conclusion
I’ve outlined just a few of the features in the Dell AppSync 4.5 release. For more information, check out these resources:
- Dell Technologies Info Hub
- Dell AppSync Info Hub
- AppSync 90-day trial download
- Dell PowerFlex Info Hub
- Dell PowerStore Info Hub
- Dell PowerMax Info Hub
- AppSync 4.5 Release Notes (requires login)
- AppSync Product Support (requires login)
Author: Andrew Sirpis